I am attempting to replace my Kwikee steps. The old steps broke (again) and were very rusty, so I purchased new Kwikee steps. The new steps fit perfect. I have read the operators manual 6 times but I can not get them to extend when I open the door not retract when I close the door. I did no new wiring. The magnet on the door is the same. The plug wires match the old steps but the run backwards. There is a switch I can flip to keep them open when parked which I have turned on and off trying the steps in each position. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

Not knowing which step you have, I found that they change the wiring on some. The instructions for the step explains that the KILL switch by the door operates in reverse if you do NOT change it also. For some reason Kwikee reversed the way the KILL switch operates. ON is OFF now and Vice Versa. I also found the same wording here on the forum, post by Doug.

There is no new wiring on Kwikee steps. The ONLY difference is the door magnet switch. Your profile lists a 2014 Motorhome. That means your existing magnetic switch is the correct one for the new steps. Older(more than 10 years and older) Kwikee steps had a different magnet. You CANNOT make the steps stay retracted. They have a LAST OUT feature that will ALWAYS extend the steps when the door is opened. Regardless of where the ON/Off inside switch is on or off. The inside wall ON/OFF switch keeps the steps extended when it is turned off and you close the door. The YELLOW wire in the 4 wire plug is a IGNITION ON hot wire that tells the steps to retract if the door is closed and you have the steps locked out to stay extended. Verify that the Yellow wire is dead, has NO 12 volts with the Ignition key OFF. Doug

MountainAir05 wrote:Not knowing which step you have, I found that they change the wiring on some. The instructions for the step explains that the KILL switch by the door operates in reverse if you do NOT change it also. For some reason Kwikee reversed the way the KILL switch operates. ON is OFF now and Vice Versa. I also found the same wording here on the forum, post by Doug.

The switch is the same, they just labeled it backwards from the original switch. It confused people. But, the switch is just a standard Open and closed switch. ON or OFF, nothing fancy. Doug

A bit confused, are yo saying the steps do not work at all, or that they operate in reverse? If not working at all, does the step have a light? If it has a light check to see if the light comes on when the door is open, or when the door is close.

When you open or close the door, do you hear a slight click from the motor area?

No noise or click. The steps operate, but they operate in reverse. When the door is closed the steps are open, when the door is open the steps are in except when I use the switch. When I turn on the key the steps open.

GGeorge wrote:No noise or click. The steps operate, but they operate in reverse. When the door is closed the steps are open, when the door is open the steps are in except when I use the switch. When I turn on the key the steps open.

I have been told that there is a difference in models that use a different switch.

From my perspective, I have seen way too many people buying new controllers, and motors because their stairs wont work when the problem is a simple design flaw that can be fixed with a piece of plastic from a soda bottle cap and crazy glue.

I have also seen many people drive themselves crazy with switches and wiring when another design flaw cause the steps to retract when the door is open and extend when the door is close. This fix is nothing but maybe the cost of a new cotter pin if the old one can't be reused.

From what I have seen the main focus is to spend money and replace versus just fixing what is wrong. But, since there are different models, You may want to just follow the popular remedies if it fixes the problem.